conan

The 404 1,036: Where they should make a movie out of that (podcast)

Nike is introducing a new RSVP system on Twitter to handle the release of its limited edition sneakers, and we think Microsoft and Sony should adopt a similar model for their new consoles so fools like Jeff won't have to camp out in the cold.… Read more

Conan slams Amazon's Kindle Fire

The Kindle Fire apparently does not impress Conan O'Brien.

CoCo went after Amazon's inexpensive tablet on his late-night show, with the help of perhaps the worst Jeff Bezos impression ever. The brief skit features the bizarro Bezos pitching some "simple solutions" for a few of the widely reported complaints about the Kindle Fire.

That oddly placed power switch? Duct tape, naturally. I won't spoil any more--watch the clip below for yourself and let us know in the comments if you think the televised lambasting is deserved.… Read more

Conan mocks Apple over 'lost iPhone 5'

Back on August 31, CNET broke the story that an unreleased iPhone went missing in a bar and that Apple was doing its darnedest to track it down, with a little help from the San Francisco police. While the prototype has yet to turn up, Conan O'Brien, who's poked a little fun at Apple in the past, has a put together a mock Apple ad called "Apple wants its lost iPhone 5" in which Apple's heavy-handed, take-no-prisoners style is satirized with lines like, "We will find this person and redefine the world of genital torture."

… Read more

The 404 899: Where we take you to school (podcast)

Wilson begins this episode of The 404 Podcast with a few words of encouragement to our young listeners starting their first day of school today.

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Tang excelled in all his classes and never once printed a cheat sheet on a Coke-bottle wrapper--unfortunately Jeff and I can't say the same for our own salad days. Anyone know how to calculate the area of a triangle?

Aside from recalling our high-school days, today's show rundown kicks off with Nike's announcement of the long-awaited shoes from "Back To the Future II." Nike's head designer Tinker Hatfield invited members of the press to a big announcement that's likely to coincide with this preview trailer showing Marty McFly's closet full of Air Mag 2015s. Power laces and light-up soles!

We'll also break news about a partnership between Google and Zagat's (rhymes with "da cat") Restaurant Guide, shed some light on reports about Netflix capping multiple streams, and you'll also find out how you can rent the studio set from the Conan O'Brien late-night show!

The 404 Digest for Episode 899

It's about time: Nike goes "Back to the Future." Conan writers put studio up on AirBnB. Scan shows what the right 3DS thumb stick add-on might look like. Google buys Zagat, in original-content gambit. Video voice mail from David showing a retro pinball arcade.

Video voice mail from Tessa and Matt on a backpacking trip in the Sierras. Justin's Daily Bathroom Break Video: Going to the Store: Normal Guy, Normal Walk.

Episode 899 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 885: Where we weeze the juice (podcast)

"Woot" joins "jeggings," "mankini," "noob," and 400 other new definitions in the 12th edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary published today, but what happened to "glamazon," "hangry," and "retrosexual"?

Along with our suggestions for new slang to be added, we're also warning everyone about a privacy breach called juice-hacking and a virtual hit-man service that charges $10 an hour for DDoS attacks. And we talk about whether it's necessary to reboot or shut down your computer at night.

This, plus a handful of Calls From the Public on today's episode--enjoy!

The 404 Digest for Episode 885

'Woot' is officially a thing, according to Oxford English Dictionary. Beware of juice-hacking. Russians outsource DDoS attacks for $10 per hour. Is it necessary to restart or shutdown your laptop every night? Congratulations to Sir Ron for completing the maze we featured on yesterday's show!

Episode 885 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

'Woot' is officially a thing, according to Oxford English Dictionary

August marks the 100th anniversary of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (COED), the smaller but most widely recognized derivative of the official Oxford English Dictionary, or OED. To celebrate, the lexicon published its 12th edition today that adds more than 400 new entries--many of which reflect the technological pervasiveness of modern society, like "woot," "mankini," and "jeggings."

COED Editor Angus Stevenson heads up a small team at the Oxford University Press's academic cabinet tasked with choosing the next words for inclusion, and the process involves keying popular words into a database that shows frequency of use in print and online.

Since publishing its first edition back in 1911, the COED's evolution shows the tremendous effects of social media and instant-access technology on language, creating new words but also modifying existing definitions of words like "follower."

What once meant "a person who imitates or copies" now earns a second and more widely used meaning: "someone who is tracking a particular person, group, etc., on a social networking site." Another example that's a little unsettling is the general term "friend" that loses gravity in its new form: "a contact on a social networking Web site."… Read more

Conan says Apple is cocky over iPad 2

"It's truly incredible how little we did," says a bald man who looks for all the world like he works at Apple.

"We knew that if we changed the color, put pictures of water droplets on the desktop, made it a little faster, added two holes with cheap cameras in them, then just kind of flattened it a bit, people would just go nuts," he continues.

And that is just one of the amusements in a parody of the iPad 2 launch video produced by Conan O'Brien.

Conan introduced it by saying he felt … Read more

IBM's Watson gets smashed on 'Conan'

"She likes things with big batteries."

These were the words that propelled IBM's Watson from cold, calculating machine to charming talk show guest on "Conan" tonight.

Watson hadn't even broken a sweat in defeating Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, two inferior human beings, in a faintly silly game show.

Appearing on "Conan," though, gave Watson the chance to show his frilly underskirts.

Who likes things with big batteries? Why, Conan sidekick Andy Richter's wife.

"I can love," Watson offered to Richter's question as to whether he is able … Read more

Report: Microsoft pitched Conan O'Brien on Xbox show

Conan O'Brien has been at the TBS network for three months now, but the late night TV host and his show reportedly could have ended up on Microsoft's Xbox instead.

In an interview with "Conan" executive producer Jeff Ross, video game site Gamasutra reports that that Microsoft had pitched the Conan team about bringing the show to its Xbox game console as part of a larger digital content offering.

Discussions fizzled, but the news adds weight to a report by Reuters from back in November claiming that Microsoft was attempting to work out content deals with … Read more